Bar Lies
by KamikazeKoiji
Summary: After a busy week chasing leads on a case to no avail, Mulder invites Scully out for drinks as an apology. What harm could some flirty bar lies possibly do? MSR.
1. Chapter 1

_**BAR LIES**_

 _ **Disclaimer:  
**_ _Not mine. I'm just borrowing them because they're too cute for their own good._

 _ **Notes:  
**_

 _With special thanks to Jas for editing and proofing again._

 _I got the idea for this whilst watching Don't Trust the B**** in Apartment 23 when June attempts to take a leaf out of Chloe's book and tell lies at bars for personal gain. I just liked the idea of Mulder trying to get Scully to tell a bar lie for a free drink and having her turn out better than him at it._

 _Anyway, hope you enjoy it! Feedback and kudos are always appreciated. This story is complete so I'll be sticking to an update schedule._

 _ **Summary:**_

 _After a busy week chasing leads on a case to no avail, Mulder invites Scully out for drinks as an apology. What harm could some flirty bar lies possibly do? MSR._

* * *

 **FBI HEADQUARTERS, WASHINGTON  
MAY 16** **th** **, 5.30PM**

Mulder sighed, reclining back in his chair and stretching his cramped legs out underneath the desk. The sound piqued Scully's interest and she looked up from her paper work, raising an eyebrow at her partner.

"Tired, Mulder?" she asked, pointedly replacing the cap on her pen.

"Huh? Yeah, I guess I am." He replied, pushing his keyboard aside in favour of tapping a pencil against the desk.

The clock marched on, adding seconds onto an already long work week that had begun when Mulder stumbled across a case file involving a mysterious woman and a trail of very confused, exhausted male victims.

His obvious conclusion?

They were dealing with a succubus.

Of course, the preliminary interviews had revealed a shockingly similar sequence of events: man makes unwanted advance on a woman in a bar; man gets turned down; man finds a consenting woman; and man wakes up in alley way the following morning with no recollection of what happened to him.

It was a flimsy case at best – the evidence had been compiled from the statements the five men gave to the police upon waking up in an alley and Scully thought the obvious conclusion to be that someone had slipped them rohypnol, possibly as a lesson.

Were they deserving? Probably, but that didn't change the fact it was an offence.

Mulder, however, had thought that the obvious conclusion was that there was a vigilante succubus on the loose; making examples of Washington's would-be sexual predators.

Further investigation revealed that the men had no traces of any date-rape drug in their systems – Mulder reasoning that they could have been subjected to a small enough dose that the mens' bodies had metabolised the substance long before the drug screen was completed. Several evenings spent staking out the bars where the incidents had taken place had left Scully more than a little fed up and keen to hear her partner admit it was just a string of men partying too hard.

Not that Mulder was known to admit to chasing a red herring, mind you. But then, she wasn't entirely opposed to spending long working hours with him either, so she found herself at something of a stalemate.

"Have you managed to piece anything else together?" she asked, watching as he dropped the pencil in favour of running a hand through his hair.

"No," he said, catching her eye and smiling sheepishly. "I'm beginning to think that it's pointless pursuing this, actually. Or if we do pursue this that we need a fresh angle – what do you think about trying to lure this lady?"

"Lure, Mulder?"

"Yeah, maybe we could use ourselves as bait and see if she shows up?"

Scully snorted.

"It doesn't have to be an official part of the investigation," he continued, a familiar look of child-like hopefulness appearing on his face. "we could go and hang out there, see if anything happens? I feel we aught to do something so I can at least apologise for you having a very long and fruitless work week."

"Who are you, and what have you done with my Mulder?" Scully shook her head and tapped her pen on her desk.

"What'd'ya say we get out of here now and I can come by and pick you up at 7?" The jaunty log-off jingle played after a few short clicks of his mouse. "We'll go some place for dinner and then head out to one of the bars and either do some work or just have a good time."

"I guess," she said, grabbing her belongings and reaching for her bag. She let her hair swing in front of her face as she toyed with the clasp, letting a smile lift her mood. Dinner and drinks – he _was_ going all out. She brushed her hair back and stole a glance; between the case and catching up on valuable sleep after a series of stakeouts, this week hadn't offered them much chance to enjoy each other's company. Plus, she hadn't been out for a meal with Mulder in a long time and this sounded almost like an apology date – and if Mulder's currency for apologies was more quality time with him, she was definitely not about to complain. She slid her papers and laptop into her bag and stood up, stepping out of their office in front of him before he locked up for the weekend.

* * *

 **GEORGETOWN, WASHINGTON  
MAY 16** **th** **, 6.45PM**

Scully stood in front of her mirror, scrutinising the fourth outfit she'd put together that evening. Butterflies danced in her stomach as she studied the bottle green fit and flare dress that she'd bought on a whim in a sale a few years ago. It looked nice enough, but was it good enough for Mulder? She slid her feet into a pair of wedges and fluffed her hair before looking back at the pile of discarded clothes.

She worried the hem of the dress as she wondered if green really _was_ her colour. Why was she so worried about this? She hadn't made this much of an effort for the other nights; it was just going to be an evening relaxing with her partner, no different really to the stake outs they'd been on earlier in the week… except that they were going to dinner and would be focused mainly on each other rather than looking out for a potential succubus.

She ignored the little voice in her head that was rationally telling her that she wanted to look good for Mulder to impress him. She wondered if they'd look better together if she wore the long, velvet dress she had hidden in the back of the closet, if he would like that better on her.

Scully shook her head, wandering over to her dressing table and touching up her make up before she had opportunity to change her mind again. The doorbell rang as she finished applying lipstick and a fresh wave of nerves cascaded through her veins. She took a deep breath and went to welcome him.

Mulder was leaning casually against the doorframe when she opened the door, clutching a box of chocolates. She was too focused on the shape of him in his dark, fitted jeans and steel grey shirt to notice the way his eyes lit up when she opened the felt her cheeks warm when their eyes met.

"Hey, you." he said softly.

"Hey yourself," she replied, lips curving into a smile as they looked at each other. "Do you want to come in for a bit? I've just got to grab my things."

"Sure," he said, following her over the threshold. "I brought chocolates," he added, holding up the box.

"Thank you," she said, running her hands over the embossed packaging.

"They were the cheapest the garage had," he said, smirking when she fixed him with a raised eyebrow. "I'm kidding, I bought them especially, they're not from a service station I promise."

She walked through to her room, casting one last uncertain glance at her reflection before collecting her cell, lipstick and purse together and neatly packing them into a clutch bag. "What time did you say you'd made the reservations for?" she asked as she entered the living room again, smiling as she caught him lounging back on her sofa.

"Half seven," he said absentmindedly, his gaze trailing over her as she neatly placed herself on the couch by his side. "It's in that new Greek place? I hope that's okay."

"Any food sounds amazing right now, Mulder," she said, her stomach growling quietly in agreement. "Do you want to wait here for a little while then, or make our way over there?"

"I figured we could crack open the chocolates while we wait," he said, grinning when he caught her eye.

"We'll ruin our appetites." she pointed out, nevertheless reaching for the box and tearing the cellophane. She held it out to him for first pick, balancing the box on her knee when he dithered selecting one.

"Hey, I'm still deciding!" he protested, fingers grazing Scully's hand as he pulled the box back in front of him.

"They all look really tempting, Mulder, if you don't pick one soon I'm revoking your right to first choice and going ahead and picking the one I want."

He narrowed his eyes and pulled a white chocolate out of the box, raising his eyebrows pointedly as Scully watched him pop it in his mouth. She just smiled in reply as she selected what she hoped was praline from the tray and set the confectionery down on her coffee table.

He broke the silence a few chocolates later. "I'm sorry this week has been more a waste of time than an investigation, by the way." he said, glancing over at Scully.

"It's fine," she assured him. "I just wish we could have found something."

"That's an occupational hazard when working on the X Files," he grinned as he popped another chocolate into his mouth. "I was certain you'd been keeping a tally of our successful cases anyway."

"Would that be successfully solved within the realms of the fantastical, or the scientifical? I have tallies for both and one is largely more accomplished than the other."

"Then score another for the fantastical," he laughed, reaching over for her hand, thumb gently stroking her knuckles.

"You know I'll be behind you every step of the way, regardless of what conspiracy theory you're hell bent on proving, right?" she said, twining their fingers together.

"Now, I'm sure you believe some of those conspiracy theories too," he said, a shy smile curling his lips as his thumb continued to trace absentminded circles on her skin.

"I've seen a lot of things with you, Mulder, I don't think I'll ever cease to be amazed."

"That's your polite way of saying 'no, Mulder, I'm too preoccupied trying to find proof whilst you're out there searching for the truth.'"

Scully sniggered. " _Some_ of your theories aren't that far-fetched," she allowed, unable to stop the smile that formed when he pursed his lips and raised an eye brow at her.

"Only some?"

"I can only draw conclusions based on the evidence that I myself have witnessed," she said mock matter-of-factly, laughing when he rolled his eyes. "Plus someone's got to protect you from being classed as certifiable. My word counts a lot toward that, you know."

It was his turn to laugh as he plucked another chocolate from the box. "Where would I be without you?" he grinned.

"Were you after a serious answer for that or..?"

"No, forget I asked," he pulled a face, giving her hand a squeeze.


	2. Chapter 2

_**BAR LIES**_

 _ **Disclaimer:  
**_ _Not mine. I'm just borrowing them because they're too cute for their own good._

 _ **Notes:  
**_ _Here's chapter two! Thanks again to Jas for editing._

* * *

 **DOWNTOWN, WASHINGTON  
MAY 16** **th** **, 7.20PM**

Mulder's hand found its usual spot on the small of Scully's back as she got out of the cab, guiding her toward the entrance of the restaurant. The building looked unassuming from the outside; Scully's eyes were drawn to an A-frame advertising the Friday night salsa class before they followed the ropes of twinkling fairy lights that guided them into a sheltered courtyard where the walls were decorated to look like the façades of Greek houses. Scully let out a sigh as they made their way across a cobbled floor that forked off into various snugs and intimate booths, surrounded by statuettes of various gods and goddesses lit by flickering candles.

More soft white lights shimmered along the branches of the potted trees that brushed the ceiling, bathing the restaurant in a comfortable dimness.

"Mulder, this place is amazing," Scully breathed, her heartbeat quickening to the tempo of the music pulsing from one of the adjoining rooms.

"I had a feeling you'd like it," he said, his lips almost at her ear as his hand steered her toward a set of red swinging doors. "I think we're meant to report to the bar."

"I think that's a good bet," she agreed, holding the door open as they walked through.

"Ah, good evening!" a lady greeted them from behind the counter. "Have you got a reservation or are you just after some refreshments?"

"Uh, a table for two under 'Mulder'?"

"Of course Mr Mulder, if you'd both like to follow me." The waitress slid two leather-bound menus under her arm and led them through to an adjoining room, where there seemed to be some kind of salsa class going on, and up a metal grated spiral staircase.

Scully's eyes widened as the woman led them to a booth for two, overlooking the dance floor below.

"Is this table okay for you?" the woman asked, using the menus to point.

Mulder looked at Scully and smiled as he caught sight of her awed expression. "This will be more than okay, thank you," he answered on her behalf, hands moving to her shoulders to help her out of her coat.

"Perfect," the woman said, laying the menus on the table and stepping back, clasping her hands together. "Would you like anything to drink? We have a very special guest wine at the moment if you would like to try it?"

Mulder hung Scully's coat on the end of the booth and moved to his side of the table as she took her seat. "What'd'ya say Scully? Fancy trying some of the guest wine?"

"I'm sorry, what was the question?" she asked when she finally managed to tear her eyes away from the dancing class going on below them.

"Special wine?" Mulder asked.

"Yes, that sounds good." she said, smiling at the woman.

"I'll go get you some now, leave you to have a look over the menus, huh?"

"Thank you," Scully said, her attention captured by Mulder as soon as their server disappeared down the stairs. "This place is amazing!" she said, wide-eyed as he grinned back at her.

"You said that already," he laughed, flicking open the menu. "But it is pretty neat, right? Skinner recommended it to me, can you believe it?"

"I can't imagine Skinner setting foot in a place like this," Scully said, opening a menu and running her thumb along its spine.

"I think it was for a date," Mulder replied, enjoying the surprise this evoked from Scully.

"I can't imagine Skinner on a date, either." she eventually said, grinning as Mulder shook his head at her.

"It's a good venue for one though, right?" he said, fixing Scully with a suggestive look that caused a slight blush to tinge her cheeks as she broke eye contact, butterflies dancing in her belly at the thought of being on a real date with Mulder. Was this his way of saying they were on a date? He'd picked a very romantic restaurant and had been slightly more touchy-freely than usual – but it was always hard to tell exactly what his motives were.

"What're you thinking?" Mulder asked after a few beats of the music had passed.

"Hmm?"

"For food," he elaborated.

"Oh," she breathed, keeping the disappointment from her voice.

A muted clang distracted Scully from answering as the woman from the bar reappeared up the twisty staircase, holding a tray with a bottle of wine and two glasses.

"Here are your drinks," she announced, placing them into position on the table. "Have you had long enough to view the menu or would you like me to give you a few more minutes?"

"Could you come back again in a moment?" Mulder asked.

"Of course," the lady said with a smile, turning on her heel and descending the stairs.

"You were saying?" Scully asked, catching Mulder's gaze again.

"Have you seen anything that's caught your eye?"

 _You mean other than you?_ The though rose unbidden in Scully's mind, and she ducked her head, opening the menu and studying it before Mulder could read her mind. "The Antipasti sounds good," she started, eyes trailing lazily down the list of food. "But then, so does the Moussaka."

He found the page she was looking at and scanned through the dishes, nodding his head. "The Moussaka does sound good, maybe I'll get that."

"Are you having a starter?"

"I could be persuaded," he replied, flicking to the first page and scanning the options, meeting Scully's gaze with a wry smile on his face.

"And dessert?"

"Also negotiable."

They grinned at each other and Scully reached for the wine bottle, unstoppering the cork and filling their glasses. "Here's to many more unproductive working weeks," she toasted, beaming at his indignant look.

"Why, because I'll treat you to dinner when they draw to a close?" he asked, the faintest of smirks betraying his deadpan tone.

"Any excuse for us to go to dinner is a special occasion, Mulder." she said matter-of-factly, taking a sip of her wine to taste.

"Good?"

"Hmm." she hummed in approval, holding her glass toward him again. "Here's to us," she proposed, reaching a hand out and twining their fingers as they clinked glasses.

He nodded in agreement, a smile curling his lips. "To us."

* * *

 **DOWNTOWN, WASHINGTON  
MAY 16** **th** **, 8.45PM**

"So what made you think it was a succubus?" she asked, pushing her empty dessert bowl out of her way.

"Hmm?" he looked up from his own plate, chewing the morsel of cake he'd not long popped into his mouth. "All the signs are there, Scully," he said after a moment, taking a sip of his wine as he surveyed her across their table.

"Signs, Mulder?"

"Yeah – all male victims; all with the same dream-like description of the last woman they remember; all blacked out for a significant amount of time; and all feeling bone-weary."

"And those last three signs are all also synonymous with certain drugs-"

"Which weren't found in their bloodstreams." he finished for her, a half smile playing about his lips.

"No, but-"

"Traditionally, prolonged or repeated activity with a succubus is supposed to result in deterioration of one's health or mental state, and – in severe cases – death, which I think you'll agree, accounts for their stories. Just as usual I can't find any solid proof to back any of this up." he rolled his eyes, meeting Scully's gaze with a simpering look.

She smiled sympathetically back at him, knowing how much it would mean to him to _prove_ something, irrefutably. That was part of the reason that she always searched for a scientific explanation to help him ground his theories, except that most of their cases remained just as such: theories.

"We'll just put that X File on the back burner for now," he continued, getting himself another fork-full of cake. "If we hear of another incident that sounds similar, then we'll investigate it."

"Okay," she agreed, knowing that the chances of a repeat of this X File were probably very slim. This was one of those cases that would go back into their filing cabinets unexplained and naggingly unsolved.

She swirled her wine around the glass as she watched him thoughtfully dissect the last wedge of cake on his plate. A small smile played about her lips as she took in her partner, savouring every detail from the soft light framing his face to the way his concentration was fixed on his food. He was so much more than just her partner – he was her touchstone; her best friend and potential everything should they ever manage to break through the invisible wall that felt like it had been erected between them and their feelings. His unwavering passion for his beliefs was one of the many things she respected him for; loved him for.

He smiled when he caught her gaze lingering on him, almost as though he'd telepathically heard her think the word 'love'.

"What?" he asked.

"Hm?"

"You seem deep in thought." he commented, raising his eye brows suggestively when he saw the blush creeping across her cheeks.

"I guess I am," she admitted, rolling her eyes when she caught a very smug grin capture his mouth.

"About..?" he pressed.

"You and me," she said as nonchalantly as she could manage, frowning when she realised she had admitted that out loud.

"Oh?"

She felt nerves battle their way through the happy fog the wine had clouded her mind with as she struggled to construct a follow up sentence. "Uh, I mean," she stalled, trying to summon her logic and sensibility to help her before she revealed too much.

"Maybe I could help you with that," he offered, straightening up in his seat and leaning toward her. He met her gaze and she couldn't have broken it, even if she had wanted to."You're thinking about how good we are as a team – as partners – and how we trust each other completely. And yet, even with that knowledge, something still feels incomplete. Am I close so far?"

"Yes," she admitted, hoping the rosy light from their table candle disguised the heat sweeping her cheeks.

"Good, then we're on the same page. You're thinking about how there's a level of our relationship tantalisingly just out of reach unless some catalyst sets a change in motion."

"Something along those lines," she conceded, butterflies dancing in her belly as he took her hand in his.

"I think about bridging that gap sometimes," he said softly, studying her for her reaction.

"Me too," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the dance class still going on below them. He squeezed her hand gently, what she could only describe as a smitten smile curling his lips as she similarly ceased to try to hide how happy his confession made her.

They finished off the special wine between them; a euphoric cocktail of alcohol and endorphins sending waves of excitement through her like electricity. Her usual cautious and logical mind wasn't trying to resist his undeniable charms for once, a flame kindling in her belly at the simple thought of _them._ She, for one, would very much like to bridge that gap. This time, in the Very Romantic Restaurant she was sure he'd taken her to on purpose, she had no excuses ready to stop his advances. The thinly veiled topic of 'them' seemed much easier to resolve all of a sudden.

He picked up her hand in his and lifted it to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. The contact sent sparks flying through Scully's system and she smiled shyly as he tested the waters, holding out her other hand so that he could take a hold of it too.

The moment was over all too soon when their server suddenly appeared at their table-side. "Did you enjoy the dessert?" she asked, beaming at them both as Scully attempted to jerk her hands out of Mulder's at the sudden intrusion on their private moment. Mulder held tight though, and returned the waitress' sunny smile.

"They were fantastic, thank you." he looked back at Scully and winked.

"Excellent," the waitress said, unclasping her hands. "Would you like me to take your plates? And can I get you anything else? More wine perhaps?"

"What'd'ya think, Scully?" he asked, pushing his plate toward their server.

"Have you got plans to whisk us off somewhere else Mulder?" she replied, content to relinquish control of their evening to him.

The briefest of mischievous grins appeared on his lips and he turned to face the waitress, dropping one of Scully's hands in favour of fishing his wallet out of his jacket. "Can we have the bill please?"


	3. Chapter 3

_**BAR LIES**_

 _ **Disclaimer:  
**_ _Not mine. I'm just borrowing them because they're too cute for their own good._

 _ **Notes:  
**_ _Chapter three! Just as a note to those is may affect: there's a scene in this chapter where a man shoves a woman against the wall, it's just after Mulder and Scully walk up the stairs._

 _Special thanks to Jas again for proofing and editing!_

 _And thanks to those who've subscribed and commented, always appreciate feedback :D_

* * *

 **DOWNTOWN, WASHINGTON  
MAY 16** **th** **, 9.10PM**

"Here we are," Mulder announced, offering his hand to Scully after getting out of the cab. The beat of the music coming from inside the building they'd arrived at thrummed in her legs as soon as her feet touched the pavement.

They'd left behind the picturesque Grecian restaurant in favour of one of the bars they'd investigated earlier in the week. A wry smile had spread across her lips before she could stop it as she glanced at Mulder. "We're going on another succubus hunt?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as he linked arms with her and walked them past the bouncer.

"Not quite," he said, weaving them through the crowd in the direction of the bar. "I figured we could go out for some drinks, have some fun, let our hair down…" he trailed off and grinned when he caught sight of the look on Scully's face. "…and keep an eye out for any leads on the succubus."

"Very professional," Scully replied, placing her clutch down on the bar as she settled herself onto a stool, Mulder joining her.

"I also figured we could have a bar lies competition." he added, waggling his eyebrows as Scully asked him to elaborate with a look. "What? You've never told any bar lies for free drinks?"

"No," Scully deadpanned. "I usually just get free drinks."

"I walked into that one," he laughed, scanning the bar. "Pick a bar tender," he said, leaning in close to her. "Then tell him a lie that might get him to give you a free drink."

"Okay," she drawled, leaning against the bar and resting her chin in her palm. "Turn around and survey the crowd or something Mulder, they'll know we're working together if you're watching too."

He laughed but did as he was told.

She let out an exaggerated sigh that was barely audible above the music and made eye contact with one of the bar tenders.

"You okay there?" he asked when he made his way over to her. "You look like you're having the time of your life slouched on that stool."

"Oh yeah," she replied, tracing her finger in a pile of salt. "I've had a really long week at work and I figured, hey, why not go on a date to start this weekend off nicely. The guy's a bit of a dud though." She couldn't help smiling when she caught Mulder cough out of the corner of her eye.

The bartender took her lowered head as a cue.

"Not going well either, huh?"

"No, he went to the toilet about ten minutes ago and either he's managed to flush himself down the U-bend or he's climbed out the window and escaped," Scully sighed, wiping her finger on a napkin.

"Leaving you here all alone? Man must be daft."

"Must be," Mulder muttered under his breath.

"I know!" she exclaimed, shaking her head for emphasis.

"What are you drinking? I'll get you one on the house."

"Are you sure?" her eyes widened in mock-innocence.

"Yeah, think of it as a pick-me-up," he smiled, picking up her salted napkin.

"Oh, well in that case, could I have some of the house red?"

"Of course," he grabbed a wine glass and searched the back counter for the right bottle. "Here you go," he said, pouring out a generous measure and handing it to her.

"Thank you so much," she said, taking a sip and glancing at him from under her eyelashes.

Another customer snapped his fingers to get the bartender's attention, and he wandered off with an apology.

Mulder turned around, a bemused look on his face. "Guy's a dud, huh?"

"A total dud," she said, and took a long sip to hide her smile.

"And I thought this date was going so well!"

"So it is a date, then?"

Their eyes locked and it seemed for all the world as though someone had turned down the music as Mulder reached up a hand to her cheek and leaned in closer, his lips greeting hers in a cautious kiss that lit her nerve endings on fire.

"Does that answer your question?"

Free wine abandoned on the counter, she pulled him back to her by the lapels of his jacket and returned the kiss with a curious one of her own. "Yes."

She felt elated – and not just because this was her fourth glass of the evening. The gentle contact of his hands on her waist sent a shiver across her skin and she sighed lightly when he drew back, watching as he turned to smile at someone behind the counter.

"You work fast," the bar tender from earlier commented. "This the missing dud or someone new?"

"Someone new," Scully said, heat searing across her cheeks as she adjusted herself back onto the stool properly.

Mulder chuckled beside her. "Well, I should hope I'm not the dud."

The bar tender smiled. "You know, there's booths upstairs if you want some place a bit quieter than here."

"Booth, Scully?" Mulder asked, offering his hand.

She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Do I get a say in this?"

The grin she got from him in reply was all she needed to know. She picked up her glass before the bartender could change his mind and they made their way through the crowd, their steps out of time to the dance track that pounded through the very air of the room. Hundreds of colognes, perfumes and alcohol mingled, the scents adding to Scully's already light-headed feeling and she tightened her grip on Mulder's hand as they dodged the care-free waving arms of the dancing crowd. The sound of the party fizzled out as they slipped through the archway labelled 'The Lounge', falling into step with each other as they ascended the stairs.

A loud bang sent a shudder through the stairwell as the door to the lounge crashed into the wall at the top of the flight. A well muscled man pushed a woman back toward the wall, pinning her beneath him as she attempted to writhe away from him.

"She doesn't look happy," Scully commented as Mulder halted her before they walked into the couple.

"She doesn't," he said, narrowing his eyes. "Hey, you want to back off that lady a little there?" he tapped the man on the shoulder, soliciting an annoyed grunt.

"Fuck off!" the man growled, continuing his ministrations.

"It's okay," the woman added. "I can handle this."

Mulder bristled, his need to defend clashing with the 'I'm not a damsel in distress' look the woman fixed him with. "If you're sure…"

"I am."

Mulder shrugged, frowning as he pushed open the doors to the upstairs bar. Scully felt bad about leaving the woman in a potentially harmful situation, but if she was okay with it then they would have to be too.

It was considerably less crowded here, a fraction of the people downstairs shuffled on the dance floor and booths lined the perimeter of the room. "Want to test your bar lie skills again?" Mulder asked as they approached the counter, smiling when Scully raised her eyebrows.

"I haven't seen your bar lie skills in action this evening, Mulder," she said, leaning against the bar and fixing him with her best challenging look.

"Well, I thought your beginner's luck might have worn off on the journey up here."

"Uh huh."

He grinned sheepishly as he leaned on the bar, a crisp note appearing in his hand as if by magic. Eventually he caught the attention of a young woman, who moved gracefully down the counter toward them.

"Hey," she greeted, nodding to both of them. "What can I get for you?"

"What were you drinking again?" he asked Scully.

"House wine," she said, swilling the liquid left in her glass. "But I have this to finish yet."

"You can have two, I'm not judging," he waggled his eyebrows at her before turning back to the counter. "I'll have a house wine and a beer."

"Coming right up," the bar tender said, turning away from them to make their drinks.

"Watch the master, huh?" Scully teased, beaming when Mulder frowned at her.

"I'm working on it, you can't rush these things," he smiled as the bartender placed another wine glass in front of Scully before turning away again to locate his beer.

She let her hand come to rest on his arm, a gleeful smile in place. "I'm not as well-versed in this game as you, Mulder, but that looked an awful lot like you placed a regular order to me."

"Just you watch," he replied, turning to wink at her.

"Anything else for you?" the bartender asked, not looking up as she removed the lid from his beer.

"Uh, no, that's it thanks."

"That'll be seven dollars then please."

Scully sniggered, unable to help herself as she saw a look on his face that told her his big ol'brain was working furiously to try and find a line that would save him from losing at his own game. His ego would never stand for it.

"So how's your night been?" he asked as he handed over the money.

"Alright, so far." she replied, placing the note in the till and getting his change for him. "Yours?" she asked absent-mindedly, smiling at Scully.

"Yeah, we're just unwinding," he said as he fished his wallet out of his pocket to put the change away. "It's been a very long week, hasn't it?"

"A very long week." Scully said, taking a sip of her original wine.

The woman checked the bar for any new customers before speaking again. "Where do you work then?"

"We're with the Bureau," Mulder said with an air of nonchalance that made Scully nearly choke on her drink.

"Oh really?" the woman replied, grabbing a cloth and wiping down the bar. "So it was a busy week hunting down wanted criminals then?"

"Try aliens."

The bar tender raised an eyebrow, studying Mulder and Scully in turn to check for any signs he was joking. "You're kidding me?" she said.

"No, we actually try to solve the cases that no one else can explain," Mulder elaborated.

The bar tender gave Scully a pitiful look. "You let me know when you need a refill honey, something tells me you're in for a long night." she said before wandering back down to the other end of the bar.

Mulder grimaced as Scully burst out laughing. "Don't say it," he said, holding an index finger up in warning.

"Well, you got me another drink anyway," she smiled, raising her glass for him to toast with his bottle. "Cheers!"

"I know what you're thinking Scully," he started, signature Mulder-mischief grin back in place. "But that usually works."

"It wasn't even a lie," she laughed as he slipped his arm around her waist, steering them toward a booth away from the bar. "Surely telling a 'bar lie' by definition would involve a lie?"

"That one usually works," he protested. "It usually gets laughed off and they offer me a drink."

"Except she laughed it off and offered me a drink instead."

"It must be a pity thing, she must think you're out on a date with the local fool."

"Poor thing," Scully said, cupping his cheek in her hand when she placed the wine glasses safely on their table. "You seem to get that reception wherever you go."

He rolled his eyes as she slipped into the booth before him, shuffling close to her when he sat down. "Way to kick a man when he's down," he said, letting his hand rest on her knee.

"You know you're my fool though, right?" she said, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"I assumed as much," he replied, resting his head against hers after leaving a kiss on her forehead.

She took in a breath of a scent that was distinctly him and closed her eyes, a serene quietness settling over them despite the volume of the bar. She was vaguely aware that this was still very much uncharted territory for them, but it felt so right – it felt even better than she ever imagined it would. Any casual encounters they'd shared before were beginning to pale in comparison and she was trying her best to silence the thought that told her that any moment now consciousness would begin to creep in and she'd roll over and find herself alone in her bed.

He took a swig of his drink, his voice pulling her from her thoughts. "This isn't actually a bad bar when you ignore the fact it's a potential succubus haunt," he said lightly, grinning when Scully fixed him with a raised eyebrow.

"The staff are certainly very nice," she said, pointing to her drinks and smiling when he shook his head.

"So, what do you want to do next?" he asked when she drained the last of the wine from her free glass.

"Good question," she started, rather enjoying just sitting in the booth making small talk with him. "What other tricks have you got up your sleeve for me?"

He laughed, his shoulder rubbing against hers. "Depends on how open you are to some of my, uh, more intimate suggestions." he moved his hand a fraction further up her leg.

"More intimate than our own little booth, huh?" she asked, resting her hand on top of his. "What exactly do you have in mind, Mulder?"

He was silent for a moment as he studied her face, Scully spying an uncertainty in his gaze that she finally recognised as the same nervousness she'd also been grappling with. Mulder was holding back on her in case he pushed things too far. She knew he had feelings for her – he'd tried to confess those on several occasions – but she'd never allowed herself to fully believe it, choosing instead to put his words down to the circumstances preceding them. A pang of sadness echoed through her at the thought of Mulder ever believing she didn't want him, it was so far from the truth.

He was all she'd wanted for a long time now, and she'd be damned if they lost the progress they'd made this evening.

"Well, I was thinking maybe we could dance, you could get that second free drink and when you're ready we can go back to my place?"

"Oh yeah? And what would we do there?" she asked, wanting to hear him say it.

"Well," Mulder said, a slow smile curling his lips. "We could have more drinks, if it's not too late we could watch a movie, and then…" he trailed off, raising an eyebrow.

"Then..?" she prompted.

"I want you to stay the night."

Her heart fluttered as she looked at him, the hopefulness tangible in the air between them as he waited on her reply. A smile tickled at the corners of her lips as she processed his suggestion, raising her hand to cup his cheek. He leaned into her touch, watching her from under his eyelashes as she sat up straight and kissed him, lips lingering as she revelled in the sheer delight that simple action brought her.

"Does that answer your question?" she asked against his mouth, pleasure beginning to coil in her as his fingers traced motifs on the small of her back.

"Well, I'd rather you gave me a straight 'yes' or 'no'," he grinned as their lips met again. "In that preventable sexual harassment lecture they made me attend a few weeks ago, they were very hot on cons-"

"Mulder, shut up." she instructed, running her tongue along his lip. He opened his mouth without hesitation, gently capturing her lower lip between his teeth before drawing back.

"Just checking – that roughly translates as a…?"

"Yes, Mulder. I'd love to." she rolled her eyes, sealing the deal with another kiss.

They sipped their drinks and laughed and joked as the DJ worked his way through his playlist, Mulder eagerly pulling Scully up and out of their booth when the opening notes of Cher's _Walking in Memphis_ sounded across the speakers. "I seem to remember you enjoyed this the last time we danced to it," he beamed at her as he took her hand in his, the other snaking round her waist and pulling her close.

She smiled as they swayed in time to the music, rolling her eyes as he spun her around and pulled her back into his swaying embrace in time for the chorus to start up again. "I did enjoy it," she told him, laughing as he started to mime along with the song. They had almost free reign of the dance floor here, the other patrons gliding about with them instead of into them. The people that moved around them were nothing but blurs out of the corner of her eye, her undivided attention on Mulder as he guided her around the dance floor. It was almost as though she was seeing him for the first time – and in many ways she was. The easy smile that shaped his lips and the warmth in his eyes as the closing bars of the song rang out told her a similar thought must have been running though his mind too.

The quietness between them was disturbed when _Two Princes_ by Spin Doctors came on, Mulder's face lighting up as he sped up their slow dance to something more lively.

They danced their way through a dozen or so songs, only stopping when the final notes of a particularly cheesy ballad faded and the next tune began. Mulder pulled her close, slowly waltzing them in a circle. "Do you still want to collect that free drink or do you want to head back to mine?" he asked, slightly breathless as he rested his forehead against hers, eyes flashing mischievously in the disco lights.

Scully smiled, knowing the answer he was hoping to hear. "Let's hail a cab," she said, unable to stop the smile as he squeezed her tight and tucked her neatly under his shoulder, steering them back toward the stairs. The woman they'd tried to help earlier with the pushy gentleman friend was nowhere to be seen now, and Scully hoped that meant she'd managed to enjoy her night sans-aggressive partner.

They were instantly hit by the refreshing coolness of the night time breeze as they stepped outside, walking in step with one another and out of time with the crescendo of songs that permeated from the bars that lined the street. A line of taxis milled around the approach to the crossroads, their drivers stood chatting beside their vehicles.

"Could we get a cab to Hegal Place, Alexandria, please?" Mulder asked as they drew closer to the cabbies.

"Yeah, 'course," one of them replied, pointing at his car. "Hop in that one there, I'll be with you in a second."

"Thank you." Mulder said, opening the back door of the taxi and holding it open for Scully to get in. "After you," he pretended to bow.

"Why, thank you Mulder," she replied, smoothing her dress and getting in.

They settled into the back seat in the cab, shielded from the wind and noise of the outside world. For a moment, time stopped, and they were lost in their own thoughts, swirling around the same feeling of euphoric disbelief.

"Alexandria, someplace, right?" the cabbie asked, sliding into the driver's seat and bringing the engine to life.

"That's the one," Mulder replied, glancing across as the streetlights illuminated the planes of Scully's face.

Scully's attention was elsewhere as the cab glided away from the curb. She couldn't be certain in the darkness, but she was fairly sure she could see the burly man from the stairwell sprawled out in front of the bins. She shook her head, very briefly allowing herself to contemplate the fact it _might_ be related to the case-with-no-leads they'd been chasing all week. _No,_ she thought, turning her attention back to Mulder. _There's no way._


	4. Chapter 4

_**BAR LIES**_

 _ **Disclaimer:  
**_ _Not mine. I'm just borrowing them because they're too cute for their own good._

 _ **Notes:  
**_ _Final chapter! I wasn't sure what fanfiction's policies on smut scenes were nowadays so this is the PG-13 version. If you want to read the full version of this chapter then you can find it on my AO3 account (also KamikazeKoiji). I hope you've enjoyed the fic, please leave a comment or fave if you have, I really appreciate any and all feed back._

 _And again, special thanks go to Jas for proofing 3_

* * *

 **ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA  
MAY 16** **th** **, 11.40PM**

"Home sweet home," Mulder announced as he pushed open the door to his apartment, moving aside to let Scully in. She smiled as he flicked on a light, feeling a tug at the shoulders of her coat as Mulder silently asked if she wanted him to take it for her. She shrugged out of it and stepped out of her shoes, turning on a lamp on her way to the couch. "You want another drink?" he asked as he padded into the kitchen.

"What have you got?" she replied, watching as the light from the fridge silhouetted him in the darkness.

"Beer, beer," he shut the fridge, barely visible as a cupboard door creaked under his touch. "Or wine, take your pick."

"Hmm, we've had a lot of wine this evening," she said.

"That we have," he replied, appearing in the light of the fridge again. "Beer?"

"Oh no, never mix the grain and the grape," she said, grinning at the sight of his puzzled face as he brought two cans through.

"And that's a rule you abide often, Scully?" he asked, returning her smile with an eye roll as he went back to the kitchen to find the wine and some glasses.

"On the rare occasion I drink excessively, Mulder, yeah it is."

A snort sounded from the other room.

"What?" she grinned. "I can let my hair down and have fun sometimes."

"Oh, I know you can."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, when you wake up tomorrow morning with a hangover don't expect me to withhold my urge to tell you 'I told you so'."

He waggled his eyebrows at her as he flopped down on the couch, putting his feet up on the coffee table. "Your wine?" he offered, holding a glass out to her whilst he attempted to pry the cork out of the bottle one handed. She took the glass, holding it steady for him to pour when he eventually removed the cork.

"Thank you," she smiled as he stoppered the bottle, placing it out of harm's way on the floor.

"You're very welcome," he said, cracking open a beer. He grabbed the TV remote from the coffee table and leant back, draping an arm around her shoulders. She moved closer, filling the space between their bodies before rationality had a chance to kick in and tried to convince her that they shouldn't have stepped foot into this new territory. It felt like they'd been chipping away at the invisible barrier constructed of reasons why they shouldn't be together for years; everything coalescing into this night where the pieces finally fell into place. It felt _right_ in a way that Scully had never been able to find a rational explanation for – an overarching irony of their entire relationship, it seemed.

But with his arm around her and the mere fact that this was finally happening with _him_ , she decided none of that mattered any more.

All that mattered was that they were together, relaxing with a drink whilst some old black and white film danced on his television screen. Time slipped by as the wine drained from her glass and eventually 'The End' faded in across the screen, the optimistic yet tinny notes of the finale song ringing out before adverts prepared the stage from the next item in the scheduled programming. Scully stirred, sliding the glass back onto the coffee table with a contented sigh.

"Mulder?" she said, tracing her fingers around his waist and pulling him in for a hug.

"Hmm?" he hummed in reply as he turned his face to hers.

"Thank you for tonight – it's been perfect."

His face lit up with the excited passion she'd grown to love when he thought he was onto something huge. "No problem, Scully," he said, closing his eyes and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "In case you couldn't tell, I've really enjoyed it, too."

* * *

Later that night they lay in a lovers' messy embrace in his bed, spent as they regained their breath. Mulder rolled over, pulling the duvet over them and wrapping her back into his arms. She nestled against him, kissing his chest as he stroked her hair.

"That was…"

"Amazing." she finished for him, her breathing finally slowing.

"It was." he said. "You might even say it was 'out of this world'?"

She fixed him with her signature raised eyebrow, unable to maintain a straight face as he beamed at her. She kissed him gently, hand cupping his cheek. "I…" she kissed him again, savouring everything about this moment. "Mulder, I…" she trailed off again, distracted as he pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I love you, Scully," he said, resting his forehead against hers.

"I love you too," she sighed, smiling back at him as he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close. The TV still blared in his living room, the picture occasionally illuminating their perfect little scene as they gazed at each other; committing this night to memory. Eventually Scully's eyes grew heavy, lulled to sleep by the gentle weight of Mulder's hand on her head and the sereneness that had settled over the pair of them.

As she flitted in and out of consciousness she knew they couldn't go back to the way things had been – and more to the point, she didn't want to. Being snuggled against him only strengthened her resolve that there would be many more nights like this one, and many more moments for them to enjoy.


End file.
